LeRoy has an opportunity to open its doors to revitalization, and some Village residents think a great way to do that is to become a Historic District, or even multiple Historic Districts.

There are financial incentives in the form of tax credits and grants to make repairs to buildings, as well as the development of “heritage tourism” which is can boost a local economy in the long term.

Trustee Jennifer Keys says she supports the proposal.

“It sometimes attracts people who may not ordinarily stop," she said, "so the financial benefit to the community is to have more people going through and more people spending money."

The Village is still mulling over a Historic Business District on Main Street and a Historic Residential District in the area of East Main and Church Streets. There’s a meeting Monday at 7 at Village Hall and property owners in both proposed districts are encouraged to attend.

Keys says as a historic district and not a preservation district, it’s convenient for building and home owners because they can maintain freedom over their property. The only rule if the historic districts are approved is that the designation has to be written on the deed.

“If you apply for a grant and receive it, you have to follow the specific grant restrictions; if you want to apply for tax credit, then you have to follow the tax credit restrictions," Keys said. "But other than that, you can do whatever you want. You can have an Eastlake Victorian on East Main Street and put vinyl siding and vinyl doors on it if you want. There’s nobody to prevent you from doing that.”